It seems that I have too many days that I feel this sense of being overwhelmed, that I have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Leo gives some practical advice, even though it is also counter-intuitive. He suggests that we need to slow down, be mindful, check in with ourselves in this present moment, and to only do one thing at a time. This may look like a weird idea, but I know from my experience that it has helped me to slow down when I feel my body telling me to speed up. It actually makes the day go much smoother, and I probably get more done!
I can relate to this article by Leo Babauta. He talks about having a lot of concerns on our minds throughout the day and how it can cause us to feel stressed. He describes seven methods for dealing with feeling stressed and overwhelmed:
- Recognize the signs. – When you realize you feel overwhelmed, you need to pause.
- Pause and notice – Sit still and look inward. Notice the physical feelings of stress.
- Notice the urge to be in control – Don’t act on it. Just see it, acknowledge it.
- Give yourself love – Send love to yourself, like putting a warm hand over your heart. This should relax you, make you feel less anxious.
- Narrow my scope – You can’t do everything at once. Make a list, pick a few things you CAN do today.
- Focus on one thing – Clear everything else away, and just focus completely on that one thing.
- Relax into the moment – Don’t focus on anything else — you’ll get to those things later — relax into the warm embrace of the goodness of this moment.
How can you use Leo’s advice in your life today?
If taking on another list can even cause you to be stressed, try one step at a time. Pick a suggestion you think you could accomplish each day this week and once you feel you have mastered this task, move onto the next.
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you’re too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” {Zen}
